Zamfara, Sokoto, and Borno lead Nigeria in kidnapping victims, SBM Intelligence reports
A report by SBM Intelligence, published in August 2026, indicates that Nigeria's kidnapping crisis between July 2025 and June 2026 was predominantly concentrated in the northern part of the country. Out of 7,825 victims across 1,411 incidents, 93.7 percent were in the North. Zamfara recorded the highest number of victims with 1,921 across 236 incidents, followed by Sokoto with 1,157 victims in 179 incidents, and Borno with 892 victims in 55 incidents. The Northwest geopolitical zone alone accounted for 4,771 victims and 680 incidents. Mass abductions were a significant factor, representing 79.5 percent of all kidnapped individuals, with the Northwest leading in these incidents. The report attributes the regional disparity to the presence of armed groups and the large, difficult-to-police rural areas in the North. Kwara State recorded the highest ransom demand at N7.375 billion, partly linked to Boko Haram activity, while Borno recorded the largest single ransom payment of N5 billion for 416 abductees in Ngoshe. Niger State also saw N2 billion in ransom payments related to the abduction of 315 pupils and staff from St Mary鈥檚 School in Papiri.
